3 centuries after ‘Holy Grail of shipwrecks’, precious artefacts recovered from San José galleon

In June 1708, the 62-gun Spanish galleon San José, carrying treasure from South America to Europe, was sunk by British warships, killing its 600 crew and passengers.

In June 1708, British warships attacked the San José, a 62-gun Spanish galleon that was heading a treasure fleet of eighteen ships from South America to Europe. (Image credit: Painted by Samuel Scott (1702-1772); Public Domain)

Priceless valuables that sank with the San José ship off the coast of Colombia over 300 years ago have finally surfaced. The incredibly well-preserved items that have been retrieved as part of an ongoing project by the Colombian government – including a cannon, a porcelain cup and three coins – offer a small glimpse into the wreck’s large treasure.

The large ship or galleon is often dubbed “the Holy Grail of shipwrecks” as it went down with a huge cargo of 200 tons (180 metric tons) of gold, silver and gems said to be worth around USD 18 billion in 2018. The Colombian government’s efforts are directed towards investigating the wreck and recovering the precious artefacts. The pieces found were revealed in Cartagena on November 19.

The recovery “opens the possibility for citizens to approach, through material testimony, the history of the San José galleon,” Alhena Caicedo Fernández, director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, said in a statement.

In June 1708, British warships attacked the San José, a 62-gun Spanish galleon that was heading a treasure fleet of 18 ships from South America to Europe. The galleon sank during the ensuing fight, though researchers argue whether or not it exploded, killing the ship’s 600 crew and passengers.

Discovery and subsequent claims

The ship was eventually found in 2015, approximately 2,000 feet (600 metres) below the surface and south of Cartagena. The discovery caused a number of parties, including the Colombian government, Spain, a US firm and the indigenous Bolivian Qhara Qhara people, to claim ownership of the ship and her precious cargo. But the Colombian government decided that all shipwrecks in its waters belong to the country, and has subsequently moved to survey and later salvage the wreck and its contents.

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In the following years, researchers conducted searches of the wreck using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), collecting photographs of coins, cannons, porcelain cups and gold bars. According to the statement from the Colombian Ministry of Culture, the most recent discoveries are a part of the project’s second phase, which intends to start retrieving and conserving artefacts from the wreck.

The objects unearthed include a bronze cannon, remnants of rope, wood and metal linked to guns, three bronze and gold coins, two full porcelain cups, and other porcelain fragments.

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The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), which was involved in the project, said in a statement that the items were recovered using robotic equipment and swiftly transported aboard a ship to be preserved. The coins were kept in salt water to prevent deterioration, while the cannon was kept in a refrigerated container.

The scientists will continue work to conserve the artefacts, the country’s Ministry of Culture said. The government eventually plans to display these and other objects from the wreck in a museu

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